The Lansford Pool will not open in 2016.

The facility, which was dedicated in 1944 and last updated in the 1980s, is in need of a full renovation, according to a pool consultant hired by the borough.The news came Tuesday night at a packed town hall meeting regarding the pool. The meeting was called by Councilwoman Rosemary Cannon, who also heads the borough recreation board.The pool's facilities are outdated to the point where it is not financially feasible to repair them, according to Randy Galiotto of Wade Associates, the borough's consultant."I am not going to sugarcoat it. I think you all know it's not in the best of shape, it's outlived its life, as is the case with a lot of these pools built in the '30s and renovated over time," Galiotto said.The pool has been kept open on a shoestring budget thanks to pool staff and even private residents who provided maintenance for several years.Last year, the pool lost millions of gallons because of leaks that had built up over time.Wade was hired to inspect the pool earlier this month. At the time, Cannon told council the inspection would serve two purposes - to see if there was a way to open in 2016, and also to prepare an application for long-term funding.The cost of the facility will depend on how much outside funding the borough gets.Galiotto said DCNR grants are usually about $100,000 to $200,000, and require at least part of that to be matched with local funds.But he said one borough recently got $700,000.The borough also plans on applying to other programs. Cannon said if the borough gets less than the cost of the full project, it would be scaled back.Cannon said she plans to submit an application to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to get grant money for a full renovation.Tuesday's meeting also served as a required public meeting for the grant application.The packed public meeting showed how much the pool means not only to Lansford, but the other boroughs of the Panther Valley.There were some residents who questioned whether the borough can afford to take on the renovations, with the borough's current financial situation, which requires officials to borrow from other accounts to make payroll some months.But the overwhelming number of people who spoke were in favor of renovating the pool."I grew up in this town, and I live a mile away. This is the last thing this town has that's worthwhile. I really wholeheartedly would hate to see that go away," Andrea Davis said.